Taco Bell coming to Franklin Township

WAYNESBURG – Plans for the construction of a Taco Bell restaurant on a lot in front of Greene Plaza received conditional approval Monday by the Franklin Township supervisors.

Charter Foods North LLC of Talbott, Tenn., plans to construct the 2,465 square-foot restaurant on the lot next to the Wendy’s restaurant that formerly was the site of the Ameri-Lub.

Access to the restaurant will be through the traffic lane of the Greene Plaza parking lot, the same route used by Wendy’s. Plans indicated a parking area with 21 parking spaces.

Township code enforcement officer Steve Coss said the company hopes to begin construction of the restaurant in the spring and open it sometime this summer.

The plans were earlier reviewed by the township planning commission, which recommended the site plans be granted conditional approval.

The plan approval had 16 conditions, including requirements the developer identify the location of existing storm water lines on Route 21 on its site plan, conform with the Americans with Disabilities Act in regard to parking and receive a highway occupancy permit if a new sanitary sewer line is installed requiring work in the Route 21 right of way.

The company also must provide signs for traffic circulation through the driveway, indicate erosion and sedimentation controls and propose outside lighting facing down to avoid glare on neighboring properties.

The supervisors also granted conditional approval to plans by Columbia Gas Transmission LLC to expand its existing compressor site on Route 21 west of Waynesburg.

The company will construct two new buildings at the site, which is located near the Waynesburg University athletic fields. One building will house additional compressors and the other will be for storage.

Approval had eight conditions, including requirements the company provide verification of approvals for its erosion and sedimentation control plan and National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit and receive all required permits from the state Department of Environmental Protection.

The supervisors also approved vacating a paper alley in the Windcrest Plan of Lots on Route 19 north of Waynesburg. The action was requested by Marcia Morris and Vaughn Eckman. The unnamed paper alley runs between their properties.